Payday 2~ (Xbox 360)

Hey all, I got bored so I figured I'd try my hand at writing a game review. Again, like blogging, I'm kind of new to this, so if it turns out to be absolutely terrible, then please don't hate me! xD

PayDay 2

This has been a pretty interesting last week of summer vacation for me. I've robbed banks, stole some coke, cooked some meth; I even broke into the Senators house and stole 9 million dollars worth of gold!

Okay... so maybe I didn't actually do most of that stuff, but I did do some of it with a few friends of mine in the newly released Payday 2. Payday 2, for those of you who don't know, is a recently released fps where the player takes the role of the bad guy: The Robber. The gameplay in Payday 2 revolves mostly around the co-op experience (seeing as the A.I. controlling your allies in the single player is about as smart as a wet diaper...).

The level of strategy and coordination required in Payday 2 is pretty amazing, and should be praised. Take the bank level for instance; it's not quite as simple as 'one person goes in the back, and cuts the phone lines while everyone else goes in the front'; I mean sure, you could do it the hard way, and deal with legions of police officers, multiple groups of swat teams and hordes of FBI agents, but doing it the right way requires the 3 C's: Cooperation, Coordination, and Communication.

There are several obstacles standing in the way of your loot, the solid 2.5 foot thick steel vault door being the least of them. The bank has several guards patrolling both the inside and outside of the building. There are also several cameras scattered throughout the parking lot, and interior areas of the building. There are a number of annoying little wall mounted red circles called, 'panic buttons' scattered throughout the building which, if pressed, will sound the alarm.

Did I mention that the locations of all of these variables are randomized each time?

That's right. There's no 'oh, I did this level before, so I know where the safe room is already' because it's in a different spot every time. There's also no 'oh hey, I know that there is going to be a camera around this corner', because like the vault location, the locations of the cameras are also all randomized. The locations, the numbers, the patrol routes, everything is random.

During the heist, communication is key because anything can go wrong at any time. A civilian could see you cutting the fence, a camera could spot you while you're picking that lock; making sure the party is aware of the guards whereabouts is also crucial, otherwise, they could sneak up on you at any moment. Needless to say, taking the stealth approach is challenging and intense.

While the game play is very good when it runs the way it is supposed to, there are unfortunately a number of small bugs that have been known to pop up on occasion.

Some of them are bothersome - The thermal drill (which is required to complete the level), has been known to go 'missing' on occasion (and by 'missing', I of course mean that it completely disappeared off the face of the level, which I'm fairly certain is not supposed to happen).

Some are kind of helpful - You can help a downed partner and pick up bags through walls and gates. (This may have actually been designed this way, so don't quote me on this one)

Some are just plain weird - Since when can security guards float through walls? Is there some new kind of security technology that I'm unaware of? >_>

Anyway, aside from a few odd moments like the ones above, the game play is pretty good. The control scheme is also solid; I've had no real issues there. The weapon and mask customization stuff is all pretty neat too. There is a myriad of different mask style/color/patterns to combine and experiment with; and although the weapons do not get colors, they do have a multitude of different attachments and gadgets to choose from. Earning those customizable materials can be a bit challenging as, like a lot of the game, there is a random element to it; but I find that random element to be very rewarding in this case.

And so, to wrap everything up -

Coming in at the lower cost of $40, Payday 2 is a fun game to pick up and play with a few friends, but if you plan on playing alone then I wouldn't recommend it.

Try this game if you:

- Enjoy teamwork oriented games involving co-operation, strategy and stealth.
- Have a few friends to play it alongside with, or plan on playing online
- Are in the mood to be 'The Bad Guy'

Do NOT bother with this game if you:

- Are looking for a more story-oriented game
- Are a bit sensitive when it comes to shooting FBI agents and/or police officers.